ComicsPRO is the only trade organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

ComicsPRO: Retailers' Striking Opportunity

To our members:

The unusual calendar of 2009 has given comic-book retailers a striking opportunity.

The Dec. 30 "skip week" from Diamond will allow ComicsPRO retailers to show that our organization could effectively operate on a street-dated basis. Some comics shipping on Dec. 23, including "Blackest Night" No. 6, have been shipped with the agreement that direct-market retailers will not sell them before Dec. 30.

ComicsPRO's bylaws, in spirit, fully support this effort. Let's show every link in the retail chain that comic-book retailing can be taken to another level.

ComicsPRO's bylaws state that its members will not sell product before the Wednesday after they receive it, which is stating that our members with Tuesday accounts will not put out product early or our members won't sell books on holiday weeks before the day they are intended for release. The board and members of ComicsPRO put this in our bylaws as a signal to our publishers and distributors that when they are dealing with ComicsPRO members, and offering them exclusive benefits, that they are working with professional retailers who uphold terms of sale agreements and who believe in best practices for retail. To maintain this street date shows our unified commitment to the long-term growth of this business rather than just a short-term cash grab at the expense of our competitors and our collective reputation.

ComicsPRO would like to issue a statement on Dec. 30 to the publishers and Diamond that every store represented by ComicsPRO honored the street date. 'Every' is a huge goal in the larger scheme of things but a small goal when dealing with like-minded professionals.

To those who comply with the Dec. 30 street date, thanks from the ComicsPRO board for supporting professionalism in our industry.

Voice your support! We want to hear from members that you will uphold the Dec. 30 release date and that you are committed to the growth of our industry through professional relationships with our vendors.